The recent robot-related news from Apple, Amazon, and Google shows serious momentum for the robotics industry. In case you missed it, heres a recap: ==> Apple announced that it was investing $10.5 billion in supply chain robots and automation equipment and recently confirmed its acquisition of PrimeSense for $350 million (PrimeSense developed the 3D sensing technology originally used in the Microsoft Kinect). ==> Amazon, in a CBS 60 Minutes piece aired early this month, showed off a new concept delivery system using an octocopter. Remember that in 2012 Amazon spent $775 million to acquire Kiva Systems, the warehouse-automation technology enabling robotically-delivered goods to picker/packer workers. ==> Google has set up a robotics division headed by the man behind the Android mobile operating system, Andy Rubin, Rubins first six months he has acquired eight robotic companies to jumpstart his new operation. (Googles latest acquisition, confirmed this week, is Boston Dynamics, an engineering company that specializes in building dynamic robots and simulation software. The acquisition adds more than 80 engineers and scientists to the new Google robots division talent pool—plus a new location: Boston Dynamics is located in Waltham, outside Boston.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 12:30:01 +0000
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